Out now is the new Jimi Hendrix vault collection Valleys Of Neptune which features previously unreleased tracks recorded by the guitarist between October 1968 and 1970. The 12-song, 60-minute set also features covers of Elmore James' blues classic "Bleeding Heart," Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love," as well as such Hendrix originals as "Ships Passing Through The Night," "Lullaby For The Summer" and the original undubbed Jimi Hendrix Experience rendition of "Hear My Train A Comin'."
Hendrix's step-sister, Janie Hendrix, the CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC, says that fans can look forward to many more Hendrix releases in the future: "At least 15 more years of releases we have left, and every year will be, surprisingly, material you've never heard. Jimi was a workaholic when it came to his music . . . and he had his own studio -- he was very blessed, one of two artists that did at his time. So, we have a lot of music in the vaults. . . People need to sit back and hold on."
Legendary producer-engineer Eddie Kramer was working the boards for the sessions that comprise Valleys Of Neptune -- among many other sessions -- and explained what it was like during Hendrix's groundbreaking heyday: "In the heat of battle, when you're in the studio and you're running tape and you know we're up to take 20 -- by the time we finish, take 27 -- who knew that take 21 or take 22 was gonna be a gem that you'd find 30 years later as being just absolutely phenomenal as an illustration of how Jimi was able to bring the band up to a certain level and have expectations from them beyond what a normal human being would want, you know?"
The tracklisting for Jimi Hendrix's Valleys Of Neptune is: "Stone Free," "Valleys Of Neptune," "Bleeding Heart," "Hear My Train A Comin'," "Mr. Bad Luck," "Sunshine Of Your Love," "Lover Man," "Ships Passing Through The Night," "Fire," "Red House," "Lullaby For The Summer," and "Crying Blue Rain."
Pink Floyd is suing their one time record label EMI for online sales from the band's catalogue. NME.com reported that the band claims that under their 1999 agreement their music was not to be sold as single songs -- but only as full album song bundles.
The band's lawyer Rupert Howe says that EMI is clearly not living up to their agreement by allowing single tracks to be sold online, explaining, "It's a matter of fact that the defendant has been permitting individual tracks to be downloaded online and that therefore they have been allowing albums not to be sold in their original configuration."
EMI's attorney Elizabeth Jones claimed that the contract did not cover online sales of the band's music.
Although David Gilmour is obviously proud of the band's accomplishments, he finds the exploitation of their album's major anniversaries -- like that of The Dark Side Of The Moon -- slightly off-putting: "I hate to be reminded of my album's birthdays, because I just know that the record company and other people are going to want to celebrate it by promoting it again (and) get poor unsuspecting punters (laughs) another copy. It's our pivotal, breakthrough album. How could I not love it, it's just brilliant. It's the point where our career moved into a different gear -- for better and for worse. Our lives changed forever at that point. There was a lot of good, and some bad, that went along with that."
Released in time for all the new Runaways fans the upcoming biopic will be earning next week, is the new collection Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Greatest Hits. The double-disc features such '80s classics as "Bad Reputation," "(I'm Gonna) Run Away," "Crimson And Clover," "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)," "The French Song," "I Hate Myself For Loving You," Jett's cover of Sly & The Family Stone's "Everyday People," the Bruce Springsteen-written theme to her movie 1987 with Michael J. FoxLight Of Day, and of course her 1982 Number Hit "I Love Rock N' Roll."
The full tracklisting to Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Greatest Hits is: "Cherry Bomb," "You Drive Me Wild," "School Days," "Love Is Pain," "Bad Reputation," "You Don't Know What You've Got," "I Want You," "I Love Rock N' Roll," "(I'm Gonna) Run Away," "Crimson And Clover," "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)," "The French Song," "Everyday People," "Fake Friends," "Light Of Day," "I Hate Myself For Loving You," "Backlash," "Activity Grrrl," "Love Is All Around," "Androgynous," and "A.C.D.C."
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts tour dates (subject to change): March 27 - Shelton, WA - Little Creek Casino April 11 - Baraboo, WI - TBA April 16, 17 - Lincoln City, OR - Chinook Winds Casino June 4 - Newport, AR - Portfest at Jacksonport State Park June 25 - Petaluma, CA - Sonoma - Marin Fair at Marin Fairgrounds June 26 - Pueblo of Acoma, NM - Sky City Casino July 1 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest Grounds July 4 - Del Mar, CA - San Diego County Fair Del Mar Fairgrounds July 10 - Petoskey, MI - Odawa Casino Resort July 14 - Spokane, WA - TBA July 23 - Chicago Ridge, IL - Ridgefest Freedom Park July 24 - Monticello, IA - Jones County Fair Grounds July 28 - Beaumont, CA - TBA August 8 - Chicago, IL - TBA August 22 - Eugene, OR - TBA September 18 - Bossier City, LA - Diamond Jacks Casino
The soundtrack to Tom DiCillo's upcoming Doors documentary When You're Strange will be released on April 6th, three days before the film opens. When You're Strange features never-before-seen footage of the band -- including band rehearsals, live concert and TV appearances, and digitally-remastered clips from Highway - An American Pastoral, a 1969 art film made by and starring Jim Morrison.
The When You're Strange soundtrack includes live performances from the Doors' 1967 Ed Sullivan Show appearance, as well as their legendary set at the 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival. Johnny Depp, who narrates the film, is featured reciting Morrison's poetry.
Robbie Krieger says that for all the drama constantly surrounding the Doors in the 60's, there were never any ego problems within the band itself: "Jim was, like, the focal point of the band, and that was fine with us, you know? And I think the very fact that it was fine with us is why we all got along, you know, so well, in the Doors. It was really like the perfect group, you know, as far as working together and stuff -- there was no ego problems, you know, and petty jealousies, and stuff like that, that a lot of groups go through."
Highlights on the When You're Strange soundtrack include: "Moonlight Drive," "Light My Fire" (Live on The Ed Sullivan Show), "When The Music's Over" (Live on Danish TV), "Break On Through (To The Other Side) (Live at The Isle of Wight Festival)," "Five To One," "Hello, I Love You," "People Are Strange," "Soul Kitchen," "Touch Me," "The End," "L.A. Woman," "Riders On The Storm," and "The Crystal Ship," among others.
Sting has announced the full North American itinerary of his upcoming tour accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The tour will kick off on June 2nd in Vancouver at the Centre In Vancouver for Performing Arts, and wrap up on July 30th in Bethel, New York at the Bethel Woods Center For The Arts.
Among the Police classics he'll be tackling with the orchestra will be "Roxanne," "Next To You," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" "Every Breath You Take," along with solo favorites including "Englishman In New York," "Fragile," "Russians," "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," "Fields Of Gold," and "Desert Rose."
Sting was asked how many songs he's written over the years while being around so many instruments on the road: "Zero. Absolutely zero. I used to try, and I used to get very frustrated and worried that the music left me. But I need to, I need to be in one plane, and I need to start thinking."
Sting with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra tour dates (subject to change): June 2 - Vancouver, BC - Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts June 4, 5 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall June 9 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre June 10 - Salt Lake City, UT - Usana Amphitheatre June 12 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion At Concord June 13 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre June 15 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl June 16 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater June 18 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena June 21 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center June 23 - Maryland Heights, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre June 25 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 26 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center June 28 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre July 6 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena July 9 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Event Center July 10 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center July 17, 18 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival At Ravinia Park July 24 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre July 29 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center July 30 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
